The implication of narrative elements in patriotic film “Wolf Warrior 2” on perceived reality and attitude toward patriotism of China among Chinese audience

Abstract

Based on Walter Fisher's narrative paradigm, this study explores how the narrative elements in the patriotic film “Wolf Warrior 2” affected the perceived film reality in the audience and the national attitudes towards China among Chinese audiences. Fourteen key informants aged 18 to 45 years’ old who had watched the patriotic movie “Wolf Warrior 2”. The findings showed that: (1) The narrative of “Wolf Warrior 2” is rational and helps audiences resonate with their personal experiences, even if they did not experience them personally. The linear narrative structure and three-stage plot arrangement adopted by “Wolf Warrior 2” promoted the coherence of structure and material in the film. Dialogue or visual actions are two tactics in the film storytelling. Chinese audience perceived that the characters in the movie are ordinary people that can be seen and be related with their personal lives. “Wolf Warrior 2” changed the audience's cognition and views of life, by depicting real evacuation events. By shaping the rationality of characters, plots, values, etc., the film reshaped the audience’s perceived reality of their life, which later affect the national attitudes towards China. Since the story of “Wolf Warrior 2” is based on true story, so it made the audience accept the value of peace and justice in their personal life. (2) The evacuation scene in the movie “Wolf Warrior 2” allowed the audience to perceive this event as a real event in terms of narrative rationality, making the movie story closer to the real life of the audience. In addition, (3) “Wolf Warrior 2” used narrative coherence and logic to demonstrate why Chinese people love their own nation, so as to change the Chinese audience's prejudice against patriotism and truly identified with their own country. Although Chinese audiences have their own aesthetics for “Wolf Warrior 2”, in terms of patriotism, it helped audiences reshape their attitudes toward patriotic films. This research provides knowledge about film narratology about personal experience, film reality and attitudes towards patriotism of the nation.